I’m Nicki, thanks for visiting the site and reading my background.
About me
I’m a coach who believes that when people understand themselves better, how they lead, how they work, and how they live also improve.
Before coaching, I spent over 20 years in senior leadership roles across higher education, healthcare and the charity sector. I led large, complex teams and was consistently drawn to creating cultures and environments where people feel supported, valued and able to do their best work.
I’ve managed operations in both public and private sector settings, and worked closely with clinicians, educators and senior stakeholders. The focus of all my roles has been relationship development and management. Alongside this, I voluntarily chaired regional sector groups and supported current university students with their wellbeing. I led collaborative projects, and been asked to speak at conferences on compassionate leadership, relationship-building and inclusive cultures. My work in these areas has been recognised through sector nominations and commendations of contribution.
What has always mattered most to me is the human side of leadership.
I naturally adopted a coaching approach long before I formally trained. I’ve always enjoyed, and received positive feedback from my seniors and team members on, developing individuals and supporting them to grow in confidence, navigate challenges, and find their own way forward. That experience, combined with my passion for personal development, led me to deepen my coaching practice through formal training, ongoing accreditation, and a commitment to high ethical and professional standards.
Today, I bring together my leadership experience, coaching expertise, and deep understanding of people to support individuals and organisations to thrive in a more sustainable, human way.
A little bit more about me
I live in the very rainy North West of England with my husband and fur-baby, a little ginger dog called Pumpkin (I will talk about animals for a long time if you get me started so you’ve been warned).
I love animals and all things nature (pets are very welcome on our coaching calls). I enjoy walking and have been slowly building my little ‘eco-garden’ creating a pond, insect and bee houses, and installing bird boxes and bat houses.
Family and friends are the most important things to me and I love spending as much time as I can with those closest to me.
I love learning, if I’m not learning something new I get bored. Coaching is great for this as we never stop learning.
I used to do a lot of amateur dramatics at a number of different groups and have taken part in One Act Festivals. I still enjoy going to the theatre now but more as a spectator.
I am a recovering perfectionist, slowly learning that progress is much better than perfection. I have done a lot of inner work to get better with setting boundaries and have overcome my own burnout, tackled anxiety and self-doubt and even got myself over my fear of spiders, which was a bonus.
I enjoy volunteering and have been a befriender for the elderly, worked with hedgehogs in a hedgehog rescue, take part in litter picking and currently volunteer in a local charity shop. I support charitable causes where I can too.
Inclusivity is very important to me. I have worked with people with sight loss, learnt British Sign Language at Level 3 and I have been involved in Race Equality Networks and a workplace ally for LGBTQ+ and disabled communities.
I have lived experience of taking on too much and ending up in burnout and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD.
I am bringing my training and expertise, lived experience and learning of what’s worked for me and my clients to help others to understand themselves more fully, understand what they need and navigate their challenges to prevent burnout and stay well.
Why this matters for you
Whether you’re an individual navigating change, or an organisation wanting to support your people more effectively, I bring:
Deep leadership and organisational insight
A calm, thoughtful and practical coaching approach
An understanding of what it really takes to balance performance and wellbeing